The history of two of Washington’s most influential family-owned newspapers is the subject of a new e-book from the Office of Secretary of State’s Legacy Washington team.
“Pressing On: Two Family-Owned Newspapers in the 21st Century” is a forward-looking work that covers the triumphs, adversities and challenges facing The Seattle Times, owned and managed by the Blethen family since 1896, and The Wenatchee World, owned and managed by the Woods family since 1907.
Written by John C. Hughes, chief historian for Legacy Washington, “Pressing On” will be launched as an e-book on Feb. 3. It can be purchased for $9.99 through Amazon.com. A PDF of the e-book will be available for free on the Office of Secretary of State’s website.
Before joining Legacy Washington’s staff in 2008, Hughes himself was a former reporter, editor and publisher of the Daily World in Aberdeen.
“What characterizes the stewardship of the Blethens and Woodses is their willingness to invest heavily in the quality of their newspapers at a time when newsrooms are shrinking all over America,” Hughes said. “Or as the Blethens put it, ‘We’re not publishing newspapers to make money. We’re making money to publish newspapers.'”
A launch event takes place Feb. 3 at 5 p.m. in the State Reception Room, third floor, Legislative Building, Capitol Campus. Secretary of State Kim Wyman will emcee. Speakers are Frank and Ryan Blethen of The Times, Rufus and Wilfred Woods of The World, and Rowland Thompson of Allied Daily Newspapers.
“John has written another winner with ‘Pressing On’,” Wyman said. “It not only captures how The Times and The World have survived through so many changes in the newspaper industry over the past century, it also shows how much the Blethen and Woods families care about their communities and quality public-service journalism.”
The Times is the only surviving large-circulation daily newspaper in Seattle, one of America’s most tech-focused cities. Hughes’ e-book covers the history of newspapering in Seattle from the Gold Rush days to today. It also examines The Times’ rivalry with its competitors, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and Seattle Star.
The Wenatchee World is a small daily with a remarkable reach throughout north-central Washington. Many consider its front-page slogan to be classic: “Published in the Apple Capital of the World and the Buckle of the Power Belt of the Great Northwest.”
Hughes noted that The Times and The World, with full-color printing, websites and intuitive smartphone and tablet apps, have reinvented themselves to stay relevant in the Internet age.
“Their readers have access to public-service journalism that provides context – from salmon survival to the plight of circus elephants, plus breaking news about landslides, wildfires, high school sports and the Seattle Seahawks,” Hughes added.
“Pressing On” is Legacy Washington’s 17th publication. The history program’s biographies cover many notable Washingtonians, including former Governors Booth Gardner and John Spellman, former U.S. Senator Slade Gorton, former U.S. Representative Jennifer Dunn and Native American activist Billy Frank Jr. Additionally, the program released a book on the historically close gubernatorial race between Chris Gregoire and Dino Rossi in 2004.
Legacy Washington, a program of the Office of Secretary of State, has published several oral histories in print. Subjects include former state Senator Sid Snyder, former first lady Nancy Evans, civil rights pioneer Lillian Walker, longtime political reporter Adele Ferguson, astronaut Bonnie Dunbar, former State Supreme Court justices Carolyn Dimmick, Charles Z. Smith and Robert F. Utter, and rocker-turned-political-activist Krist Novoselic.
Legacy Washington’s books and e-books have not been published at public expense. Legacy Washington also has produced a series of privately funded exhibits that have been displayed in the Office of Secretary of State’s front lobby in the Legislative Building.
